The present invention relates to conversational client-server applications, and more particularly, relates to the field of dynamic dialogues between a mobile telecommunication terminal and a network or a server for applications and services, using interactive interfaces. The invention provides to the terminal to reach a server or other terminals, to dialogue, navigate, exchange information, download applications and data (text, graphics, video, audio, images and other), and use different applications and services.
The present invention relates to mobile telephony, expanding new features and interactive services, and a convergence of dialogue between heterogeneous devices, such as mobile phones, mobile devices, digital applications and services platforms, Internet servers, third parties services and equipment, and other devices. Moreover, the invention provides the additional requirement of highly useful ergonomics for terminals users, such as real time services requirements, which are in accordance with the resource constraints of mobile infrastructures (servers, networks bandwidths, real time constraints) and mobile terminals (limited processing, storage and display capacities).
There is a need for client-server systems that implement and use protocols with dynamic, interactive, intuitive features that are easy to use and allow fast integration with low resource consumption. Such systems should provide inter-operability, customization and effortless deployment.
There is a need for a client-server system for applications and services that allows multiple and reusable applications and services having reduced costs, while targeting a large number of users. An objective of the invention is to provide interactive services that are compliant with existing and emergent technologies, without costly implementation, and preferably, without or with minimal modifications of existing equipment managed by network operators. Another objective of the invention is to provide such applications and services, without or with few modifications to user terminals, while providing a dynamic, interactive, user-friendly interface at terminals, and satisfying real time constraints.
Another objective is to have means to reach a variety of information with only short delays, such as by obtaining information via a telecommunications network from a mobile terminal in local mode, or in roaming or nomad mode.
Thus, capacity constraints of the user terminals must be taken into account, as well as network performance and inherent ergonomics problems.
Furthermore, in existing client-server systems, distribution of the “intelligence” or of different portions of services between the network and the terminal is a problem. The term “intelligence” includes the capability to decide the management or the execution of an action, a process, or data processing. For example, “intelligence” is used with the aim of providing complementary functional possibilities, flexibility and independence, versus constraints and/or user needs.
Embedding clients on mobile terminals that are compliant with network and mobile terminal constraints, at the expense of ergonomics, or providing functional and user-friendly user interfaces at the expense of the quality of service (response time, number of proposed services, real time services) is not satisfactory. Such approaches require the client to connect to a server with special means to reach information, and to navigate, download, save or transfer applications and data.
Optimization between the equipment constraints (networks and terminals), real time aspects, ergonomics and number of features and services is not satisfactory in the current systems.
Concrete applications and services are possible based on navigation using standard protocols that are WEB like (World Wide Web or Internet), such as HTTP protocols (HyperText Transfer Protocol), XML (eXtended Markup Language, an extended markup language for describing and analyzing data), IP (Internet Protocol) or others, in combination with standard transport protocols TCP (Transmission Control Protocol, one of the basic protocols for IP data transmission), UDP (User Datagram Protocol, protocol for data transmission being part of the TCP/IP protocol) and others, which do not provide optimal response time for queries, and therefore, fail to provide satisfactory real-time services.
Limiting the scope of the access to some services and applications based on simplified protocols taking into account the limited capabilities of mobile phones, for example the WAP protocol (Wireless Application Protocol), especially designed for mobile phones is unsatisfactory. This approach is at the expense of ergonomics and multi services, and does not ensure the provision of real-time services.
Applications embedded in mobile phones in some cases require download and installation of dedicated software on the terminal, which may be demanding in terms of mobile terminal resources, and does not guarantee real-time services.